Rolls-Royce takes the punishment out of being sent to Siberia..

Siberia is home to an extensive wasteland in Northern Asia, located in the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation. Omsk in Novosibirsk holds the unenviable distinction of being the coldest city on Earth, where recorded temperatures have been seen as low as −71.2 °C during winter.

With a population of just over 40 million in an area larger than the United States of America, it’s the very definition of a “Lonely Planet” destination.

It’s just as well that wealthy Cossacks can take the chill off, by turning up the climate control system in their Rolls-Royce Ghosts and snuggling down with a good book and a bottle of Kvas (a hugely popular drink of fermented rye bread water).

Being exiled to Siberia used to be a form of punishment, excommunicated and forgotten, with little hope of a return to civilised life. But times have changed. A lot.

Russia is now the number one market for Rolls-Royce cars in Continental Europe, and Tyumen, which became Russia’s first Siberian settlement in 1586 is keen to show that affluence knows no boundaries, even at sub-zero temperatures.

So when an enquiry came from the Tyumen Oblast in Siberia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Moscow were only too happy to pop down (the 1,100 miles south-east) and host a driving event.

“The interest from Siberia in our motor cars underpins the universal appeal of arguably the ultimate symbol for success”, said James Crichton, Rolls-Royce’s Regional Director for Europe and South Africa.

“Siberia still has this very special connotation of myth, eternity and human endeavour which fits the Rolls-Royce brand perfectly. We were more than pleased to support this drive event as a first of more regional drive events to come” added Tatiana Fitzgerald, MD of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Moscow.

Rolls-Royce describe the Ghost as the perfect car for all occasions, which now includes the frozen trade routes of Siberia.